Area groups

seek funds for Fort Ridgely,

Lower Sioux

By KURT NESBITT

Journal Staff Writer

REDWOOD FALLS -- Practically everybody who showed up at the Redwood Area Community Center Monday night agreed on one basic thing: area historical sites need financial help and need it as soon as possible.

Representatives from historical societies in Redwood and Renville counties, Redwood County commissioners, chambers of commerce, city governments and employees of Fort Ridgely and the Lower Sioux Agency met to pool their ideas on how to raise funds to keep the sites open.

Some cited the sites' importance to tourism and economic growth in the area. Others wondered why the Minnesota Historical Society didn't gather public input until after it announced its decision. There were also a few who said they felt the Native American stories in Minnesota history were being cut out and rural Minnesota was getting the short end of the stick.

All of them agreed that the coming two weeks are going to be critical if the sites are going to stay open.

The interpretive center at Fort Ridgely and the Lower Sioux Agency are slated to close on July 1 in response to cuts made to the MHS by the Legislature. The society will loose $4.3 million a year for at least the next two years.

The cuts have forced budget reductions at all of the state's historical sites and seven of those 15 will close at the end of this month.

The MHS recently proposed an alternative plan to the closing. It relies on community support and delivers a minimal amount of services.

If money is raised, both sites would see reduced hours of public programming. Groups would have their choice of how long they could keep the sites open.

MHS has said it will contribute money for maintenance and utilities regardless of the outcome. Area groups would be responsible for bridging the gap between that amount and the money needed to keep the fort and agency open.

The society currently spends $49,946 maintaining Fort Ridgely and $149,842 on the Lower Sioux Agency. To keep the fort open for the rest of the season would cost area groups $70,000 and $28,500 for just the next two months. Those groups would need to come up with $90,000 to keep the Lower Sioux Agency open full-season and $37,000 for July and August -- he peak of tourism season in the area.

MHS has said it plans to give employees layoff notices on Friday and would need approved plans with financial commitments in place by June 23 or both sites would close on July 1.

Beth Anderson, president of the Minnesota River Scenic Byway Alliance, asked the panel of local and state MHS officials if the potential impact on the byway was considered when the society made its decision.

"We didn't,' replied Historical Sites Director Bill Keyes. "We should've, but we didn't."

Development Planner Patrick McCormack added that Gov. Tim Pawlenty simply "put the cut on the table like homework." He said the society was hoping for lower numbers than the governor proposed, but the House of Representatives passed a bill that cut more than those recommendations while the Senate did not propose any cuts to the society. He said that decision leaves little room for comfort, so the society is now looking for partnerships with area groups.

Many of the people at the meeting criticized MHS' decision making and asked about the possibility of redoing the budget to distribute the cuts more evenly. Keyes repeatedly said the MHS has made a decision and is not going to change its mind.

When asked why Ft. Ridgely and the Lower Sioux Agency were chosen, Keyes said the cuts to the MHS were so deep that simply making reductions at all 15 still didn't make it under the $1.6 million goal, so some closures were necessary.

Keyes said few of Minnesota's historical sites generate income for the society; most of what's earned stays at the individual sites.

He said the sites could reopen in two or three years, depending upon the stability of the economy.

Dan Fjeld, a site technician at the Lower Sioux Agency, said he can understand that MHS has hard choices to make, but emphasized that employees were never asked for input. He said many MHS employees would have taken 15-20 percent pay cuts if it meant keeping the sites open.

Gary Revier, a Redwood County Historical Society member and representative of the Redwood Area Chamber of Commerce, said Lower Sioux Community met with its lawyers Tuesday to draft an agreement to pay for the Lower Sioux Agency and "save part of our heritage."

"Now is a time to get everyone involved, " Revier said. "Redwood Falls, New Ulm and Sleepy Eye should be here too."

Representatives later agreed to pool resources and make lists of possible sources of funding. They picked the Redwood Falls Public Library as the spot for the next meeting, which will be at 6:30 p.m. today.